Erebia melampus

Lesser mountain ringlet
Upperside
Underside
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Clade:Euarthropoda
Class:Insecta
Order:Lepidoptera
Family:Nymphalidae
Genus:Erebia
Species: E. melampus
Binomial name
Erebia melampus
(Füssli, 1775)
Synonyms
  • Papilio melampus Füssli, 1775
  • Papilio aetherius Esper, 1805
  • Papilio janthe Hübner, 1805-1806
  • Erebia arete Bellier, 1858
  • Erebia luteofasciata Holtz, 1939

Erebia melampus, the lesser mountain ringlet, is a member of the Satyrinae subfamily of the family Nymphalidae.[1]

Distribution and habitat

This European endemic species occurs in the Alps from the Maritime Alps to eastern Austria (France, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Austria). It prefers grassy places, in woodland or in open areas, at an elevation of 800–2,400 metres (2,600–7,900 ft) above sea level.[2][3][4][5]

Description

The wingspan is 30–36 mm.[6] These small butterflies have brown wings. Forewings show a postmedian band of orange oval to round markings containing small black spots. Hindwings have three or four postdiscal eyespots.[2]

Biology

Adults are on wing from July to September.[6] The larvae feed on various Festuca and Poa species (Poa annua, Poa nemoralis, Festuca ovina), as well as Anthoxanthum odoratum.[2]

References

Bibliography

  • Guide des papillons d'Europe et d'Afrique du Nord de Tom Tolman, Richard Lewington, éditions Delachaux et Niestlé, 1998 - ( ISBN 2603011146)


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